Color television signal-separating system



July 2 1, 1959 TUNED AT 45.75mC

F. P. SMITH coLoR TELEVISION SIGNAL-SEPAEATING SYSTEM Filed nec. 1e, 1955 T0 LUMINANCE AMPLIFIER BIAS (+5 V D. C)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

'VVVV` AMPLIFIER- cHRoMANANcE AND souIvD AMPLIFIER 4I.25mc souND CARRIER AT IF FREQUENCY INVENTOR. FRANK I? SMITH July 21', 1959 F. P. SMITH 2,896,015

COLOR TELEVISION SIGNAL-SEPARATING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FREQUENCY RESPONSE IN L E CIRCUIT: WAVE DUE TO TRAP 2 AND TAKE OFF TRAP I3 IN CIRCUIT.

U4/WAVE DUE To TRAP 2.

I /wAvE w/TH No `TRAR 2.

FIEL FREQUENCY REsPoNsE 1N c/Rculr 6.

| 4.5mc 3.58mc

FREQUENCY RESPONSE IN CIRCUIT 7.

| 4.5mc 3.58mc

/NvENToR FRANK R SMITH A T TORNE Y United States Patent l COLOR TELEVISION SIGNAL-SEPARATING SYSTEM Application December 16, 1955, Serial No. 553,532

Claims. (Cl. 178-5.4)

The present invention relates to a color television signal-separating system, and more particularly to a system for separating the luminance component of the composite television signal from the chrominance and sound components.

Conventional color television receivers utilize the commonly-known inter-carrier sound system whereby the vide-o and sound signals are amplified by the intermediate frequency amplifiers and subsequently separated into the respective sound and video circuits. As is well known, the video components consist of amplitude modulated signals, whereas the sound components consist of frequency modulated signals. Inasmuch as the inter-carrier sound system is conventional, it need not be further elaborated here.

Pursuant to this invention, it is an object to utilize the inter-carrier sound system in such a manner as to improve the operation of a color television receiver and also to reduce the likelihood of inter-modulation or heterodyning which serves to produce bar or cross-hatch patterns in the picture.

It is another object of Vthis invention to provide a signal-separating system whereby the luminance component is separated from the chrominance and signal components in such a manner as to reduce to a minimum any undesired heterodyning or inter-modulation.

-It is still another object of this invention to provide a signal-separating system which is simple in construction, reliable inV operation and less costly than comparable prior systems. v

Other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In general, the invention may comprise an intermediate frequency amplifier for amplifying a'composite color television signal which consists of luminance, chrominance, and frequency modulated sound signal components, an attenuating device in the intermediate frequency amplifier for attenuating the sound component with respect to the luminance and chrominance components, an inductive take-olf circuit for coupling the amplifier to separate luminance and chrominance-sound circuits, this take-off circuit being tuned to trap out the chrominance and sound components from the luminance circuit, a peaking circuit in the chrominance-sound circuit for increasing the lower frequency chrominance component with respect to the higher frequency chrominance component whereby these two components may be heterodyned to oibtainV individual chrominance and sound signals which may be individually utilized by subsequent circuitry. This system will be more Specifically described in the following. n

The above-mentioned and other features and yobjects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description. conjunction of an embodiment of the invention takeny in With the accompanying drawings, wherein:

y Fig. l is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a graph of the frequency response in the intermediate frequency amplifier;

Fig. 3 is a graph of the frequency response in the luminance circuit; and

Fig. 4 is a graph of the frequency response in -the chrominance-sound circuit.

Referring to the drawings, the conventional intermediate frequency amplifier, which is used in color television receivers, embodies the inter-carrier sound system as indicated by the reference numeral 1. It is, of course, obvious that the usual radio frequency, mixing and detecting circuits precede the intermediate frequency amplifier, but since these are well-known and have nothing to do with this invention, they need not be illustrated or described.

A resonant circuit or sound trap 2 is connected in the signal path of the intermediate frequency amplifier 1 either at the input end thereof or at any other point therein, as will become apparent from the following description. As is well-known, the composite color television signal consists of luminance, chrominance and sound signal components, the luminance and chrominance components being amplitude modulated signals, whereas the sound component is a frequency modulated signal. All of these signals are spaced in the frequency spectrum in accordance with the well-known NTSC standards. The sound trap 2 is tuned to the frequency of the sound component for attenuating this component with respect to the video signal. Thus, the frequency response of t'he intermediate frequency amplifier will correspond to the dotted-line graph of Fig. 2, which is indicated by the reference numeral 3. By contrast, if the trap 2 is eliminated the frequency response of the intermediate fre-V quency amplifier would correspond to the dashed line graph 4. Since the sound carrier is conventionally at 41.25 megacycles, it will be seenin this graph thatjthe minance circuit 7. These two circuits 6 and 7 are indi-r cated as lying within the dashed line rectangles.

The luminance circuit 6 consists of a crystaldetector 7a and a diode iilter capacitor 8 while the chrominance sound circuit 7 is composed of a crystal detector 9 and a tuning capacitor 10. The other portions of these two circuitswill be explained in more detail.

The two circuits 6 and 7 are coupled to the amplifierV stage 5 by means of an inductive coupling composed of a primary winding 11 and two secondary windings 12 and 13. The two windings 11 and 12 are very closely coupled and preferably are bifilar windings', whereas the winding 13 is very loosely coupled with respect to the windings 11 and 12 as indicated by `the dashed line 14. The winding 12 is `tuned to some frequency of the-lumi nance component which may be, for example, 45.75 megacycles, whereas the winding 13 is tuned to the frequency of the sound component which is 41.25 megacycles. By reason of the inter-action between the Windings 12 and 13, the sound signal is effectually trapped out ofthe luminance circuit 6, thereby further attenuating the sound signal in the luminance circuit 6 with respect to the luminance signal, as graphically illustrated by the solid-line curve 13a of Fig. 2. This is extremely important, because the greater the ratio between the lumi- `nance yand sound components, they less chance there is of 3 inter-modulation. or beating which will produce the conventionally recognized bars or cross-hatching in the picture corresponding to 920 kilocycle beats. It will be noted that this particular beat frequency is derived by the heterodyning of the 4.5 megacycle sound `signal with the 3.58 megacycle chrominance signal.

By reason of the attenuation of the sound signal rst inthe intermediate frequency stages 1 and lastly in the luminance circuit 6, it is thus seen that little or no difficulty canbe experienced in materially reducing or eliminating the objectionable 920 kilocycle beat signal or any other inter-modulation effects produced between the sound signal and the lvideo signals. It is importantto note that this extreme attenuation of the sound signal in the luminance circuit 6 is achieved without the use of any special sound traps in the luminance circuit 6 itself. The wind'- ing 13 `eifectually serves this purpose;

While the winding 13 serves as the sound trap, it provides a second important function of supplying-chrominance and sound signals to the circuit 7, as will now be explained. Again by reason of the inductive interaction between the windings 12 and 13, the luminance signals are attenuated from the chrominance sound circuit 7. The winding 13 and condenser 10 have a frequency response which is limited essentially to the sound carrier frequency,

but it. also passes frequencies in the neighborhood of plus or minus 1.5 megacycles at 6 decibels so that the customary chrominancesignals having a center frequencyv of 3.58 megacycles may be introduced into the chrominance-sound circuit 7. peaked at the sound carrier frequency, and the sound carrier rises in amplitude'with respect to the chrominance component, the ratio between the amplitudes ofthe sound and chrominance components will correspondingly increase, and at this pointA it should'be noted that this increase is in a direction to overcome the attenuating effectswhich the trap 2 has on the ysound carrier in thefintermediate frequency amplier circuits. In other words, it will be recalled that the sound carrier was attenuatedV in the intermediate frequency stages 1.

It is well understood that the ratio between the video'- and sound signals in an inter-carriery sound system -just prior to detection by the sound detector should be in the Inasmuch as the trap 10, 13is- This attenuating. effect is reversedY by means of the trap circuit 10, 13-

nance-signal to-produce an-overall frequency response inthe circuit 7 which is common to both sound and chrominance components which may be separated and utilized by later circuitry.

The parameters of this peaking circuit 1S, 16, 17 are so selected as to effectively-short circuit any luminance components which may have been passed by the detector 9; thus it is noted that while the circuit 7 serves to properly proportion the luminance and sound components with respect to each other,I it also serves to further reject and minimize'anyzofl fthe-low frequency luminance signals which may have passed thereinto.

The outputcircuit of the circuit 7 is indicated by the reference numeral'18 and-provides both chrominance and sound signals which may thereupon be amplified and later separated by subsequent circuitry as indicated by I the. reference numeral 19.

The' relatively pure luminance signal derivedfrom the circuit 6'is of coursev utilized in the' conventional manner. Recapitulating briey, by reason of the particular arrangement of' attenuating and peaking circuits, intermodulation or beating effects involvingfthe sound. signal' arev effectively minimized or eliminated. This minimizing of the intermodulation not onlyoccnrs in the luminance circuit 6 but also in the intermediate frequency stagesv 1. The peaking coil load 15, 16, 17 for` the chrominance detector-9 effectively prevents low frequency i luminance components from being introduced into the plitude -relationship therebetween for eficient detecting' output circuit'18; 'Ihe frequency response in thechrominance-sound circuit 7 provides a rise'in` the ratio of soundeto-video carriers for attaining the necessary ampurposes, as has already been explained. In the final analysis', the signalsl derived from the respective circuits' 6 Aand 7 are pure and possess fewer `undesired beats than has been possible heretofore. n

While I have described above the principles ofmy invention in connection with specific apparatus, it isv toA consisting ofluminance, chrominance and sound signal' components; second means' for attenuating the soundsignal component of the composite signal which isA amplified neighborhood of 26 to 32. decibels, whereby heterodyning' l of the frequency modulated signal at its relatively llow amplitude with the amplitude modulated video signals willi result in the production ofI a 4.5 megacycle sound signal having negligible amplitude'modulatedvideo components therein. Thus, the video and sound signals are effectively separated.

In the present instance, the relationship between the luminance and sound signals in the chrominance-sound circuit 7 .should be in the ratio .of30 to 1 decibelsfinorder to, achieve. optimum operation of the subsequent sound circuits;

From this, it may now be seen-thatrthe degreesof at-y tenuation andpealiing .as achievedlby the varioustraps! 2,12 and 13-should.be so proportioned that the optimumA 'Y ratoof:` lnminance-to-sound signals in thechrominancesoundcircuit 7: should be such asltozresult-in providing'f.-

the. 30.10 l: decibel ratio just mentioned.

Fig.. 3 illustrates .the frequency response of the lumiby'said first means,- a first luminancesignal circuit, a second chrominance-sound signal circuit, third means-intercoupling said first means with said 'rst and second lsignalv circuits, said third means comprising signal-sep- 1'arating means which limits the luminance portion of the composite signal to said luminance circuit only-and.

the chrominance and sound signal components of. said composite .signal to said chrominance-.sound circuit'. only, and sound signalpeaking means-included in vsaid'srgnalseparating means for increasingY the ratio of the soundl signal -to the luminance signal in said second chrominancesound circuit.

2. A system `of the character described comprising rst means for amplifying acomposite color television signal consisting of luminance, chrominance and sound signal components, second means for attenuating the sound signal'componentvofthe composite signal which is amplilied by said rstmeans, aluminance signal circuit, achromi-v nance-sound signal circuit, third means intercoupling said iirst'me'ans with both ofthe last-mentioned signal" cir- I cuits, said third means comprising signal-separating'imeans Fig-1.4il1ustratedthe frequency response of:thechromi'-r nance-sound. circuity 7,` it being 'not'.edjthatl the. sonndl frequency is peaked-with respect to; the 1luminance-fre-j quency. v

Returningftoj Fig; li a. circuit. composed of. a.

resistoildnshunt vithinductancel and stray -.ca-.-

pacitance 17 provides peaking inthe region ofthe chromiwhich limits the luminance portion of the-composite signaly to said luminance circuit only and the chrominancesoundt portion ofv said composite signal to said' chrorm- -nance-.sound circuit only, soundsignal-peaking means includied in said signal-separating means. forf increasing -the f ratio of the sound signal tothe luminance Vsignal in theV chrominance-sound circuit, and a heterodyning circuit assente included in said chrominance-sound circuit for heterodyning said luminance and sound signals together.

3. A system of the character described comprising first means for amplifying a composite color television signal consisting of luminance, chrominance and sound signal components, second means for attenuating the sound signal component of the composite signal which is ampliied by said iirst means, a rst luminance signal circuit, a second chrominance-sound signal circuit, an inductive coupling interconnecting said iirst means and said first and second signal circuit, said inductive coupling including two tuned circuits which are tuned to the frequencies of said luminance and said sound signals respectively, and peaking means in said chrominance-sound circuit for increasing the ratio of the sound-to-luminance signal amplitudes.

4. A system of the character described comprising an intermediate frequency amplier for amplifying a composite color television signal consisting of luminance, chrominance and sound signal components, attenuating means for attenuating the sound component with respect to the luminance component, a signal-separating circuit coupled to said amplifier for separating the luminance component from the remaining components, a luminance circuit coupled to said signal-separating circuit for utilizing said luminance component, a chrominance-sound circuit also coupled to said signal separating circuit for utilizing the chrominance and sound components, peaking means in said chrominance-sound circuit for increasing the amplitude of the sound component with respect to the luminance component, and a detecting circuit included in said chrominance-sound circuit for heterodyning the luminance and sound components, the ratio of the amplitudes of luminance, chrominance and sound components as alected by said peaking means being such that the heterodyned signal will be composed of separable sound and chrominance components which may be individually utilized by subsequent circuitry.

5. A system of the character comprising an intermediate frequency amplifier for amplifying a composite color television signal consisting of luminance, chrominance and sound signal components, attenuating means for attenuating the sound component with respect to the luminance component, a luminance circuit, a chrominancesound circuit, a tuned inductive circuit coupling said amplier to said luminance circuit and said chrominancesound circuit, said inductive circuit comprising a primary and first and second secondary windings, said first winding lbeing tuned to the frequency of the luminance component for rejecting the sound component, said second Winding being tuned to the frequency of the sound component for attenuating still further the sound component which is coupled to the luminance circuit, said second Winding rejecting the luminance component but passing the chrominance and sound components, said second Winding also serving to increase the sound component with respect to the luminance component and a detecting circuit in said chrominance-sound circuit for heterodyning the luminance and sound component thereby providing both chrominance and sound signal components which may be separately utilized by subsequent circuitry.

References Cited` in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Creamer Nov. 13, 1956 OTHER REFERENCES 

